Fellowship news

Throughout the year we will share the latest news in HIV, viral hepatitis, oncology/haematology, respiratory and invasive fungal disease, which will include updates from projects supported by the Gilead UK & Ireland Fellowship Programme and any key successes (eg posters, publications) arising from projects supported in previous years.

February 03 2015

UK Government confirms that it will not cut the HIV prevention budget

The Government has refuted claims that it was to halve its HIV prevention budget for 2015, reiterating support for the strategy and saying “It [funding] will continue”. Charities spoke out against apparent plans to slash funding for HIV Prevention England, which focusses on reducing HIV transmission in gay and bisexual men and ethnic minorities, from £2.45m to £1.2m from April 2015. A petition allowed users to lobby the Government to reconsider the cut and to maintain the current level of funding to prevent HIV transmission for the next 3 years.

In a letter from Health Minister Jane Ellison to Tory MPs Mike Freer and Simon Kirby, sent to PinkNews, she refuted claims that the fund would be slashed, and guaranteed that the money “will continue”. She wrote: “I want to take this opportunity to make absolutely clear that this Government will protect funding for HIV prevention. Suggestions that we are going to cut this provision are unfounded. It will continue.”